The invention generally relates to the manufacture of granola and snack-food products, and in particular to the manufacture of ready to eat food products such as granola bars, clusters and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) snacks which comprise grain and sweetener, optionally comprising nuts, dried fruit and/or seeds.
Grain products of various formulations have long been known. One in particular is the use of dry grain products used as a hot cereal, such as oatmeal.
Traditional oatmeal is time consuming to prepare for consumption. Such hot oatmeal is typically prepared by adding water, and boiling for up to 12 minutes. Consumers are demanding convenience, such as portability and ease of preparation. Due to inefficient heat transfer in such conventional preparation methods, however, the preparation time for consumption cannot be sped up without sacrificing textural quality.
To reduce preparation time and increase the ease of preparation, hot cereal which is capable of microwave preparation is desired. In one known method, a grain product is provided which requires the addition of water and heat to make a instant oatmeal. However, this method has the limitation of providing a bland grain product without enhanced flavor and color. In an known method, color can be enhanced by adding colorants, but this does not provide the improved taste.
There is a need for instant hot cereal which require only the addition of heat for consumption. Additionally, an instant hot cereal should provide the same quality as traditionally prepared hot cereal, such as traditional oatmeal. Therefore, in view of the increased appreciation of the beneficial effects of grain products, it is desirable to improve the efficiency, convenience and results of consumer preparation of such grain products without sacrificing quality or flavor. Moreover, improved taste and manufacturing methods are desirable to meet market demands and provide alternative taste and texture to a consumer.
In a known method of making snack-food products, such as granola bars, the two basic ingredients are a binder which is typically a sugar solution and dried components such as nuts, dried fruit and/or cereal products. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed and then formed into large sheets which are transferred into a drying/baking oven. Whilst passing through or in the drying/baking oven, moisture is removed from the sugar solution binder and also from the components of the snack-food product, resulting in a sheet of dried and or baked, adhered components which can then be removed from the oven and cut into the desired sizes and shapes of the snack-food product. Such a method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,422 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In the known method, the step of drying and baking the sheet of adhered components in the drying/baking oven is particularly time-consuming and typically is the rate-limiting step in the process that holds up the whole of the rest of the production line. The drying step also requires significant amounts of energy to dry the adhered components. Furthermore, drying the components also requires an enormous amount of capital expenses, such as equipment, materials and space.
In the known method, the grain product is typically dried in a drying/baking oven. Additionally, the drying/baking step allows for the adhered components to become toasted. However, the toasting process typically results in the outer surface being toasted, while the interior portion of the adhered component remains untoasted.
It would be desirable to eliminate the need for drying the adhered components in a drying oven. It would be desirable to provide an adhered component with a uniform toasted appearance, which in turn results in a uniform taste of the adhered component.